Discharging-rod.



Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH MORlVYZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISCHARGING-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,442, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed May 17, 1904. Serial No. 208,403.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, J os ErH MoRwI'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Discharging-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to provide for rapid and sure electric connections according to any predetermined scheme.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanism for making electric contacts in any desired order.

A further object of my invention is to provide for making a series of electric contacts by means of a revolving cylinder.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for momentarily making and breaking an electric circuit.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for charging or discharging Leyden jars or other electrical condensers in any desired order with great rapidity.

A further object of my apparatus is to join by an electric conductor the inner andthe outer coatings of one or several Leyden jars either direct or by means of an intermediate Leyden jar or of an intermediate combination of Leyden jars and to do so with great rapidity.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the preferred form of my device in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 with the near support removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my in vention. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the table shown in Fig. 2, from which the cylinder has been removed. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary plan view of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 with the cylinder and flexible conductors there omitted and external circuits in place and omitting the dotted condenser-circuits of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus which I prefer to use for the practice of my invention consists of a cylinder 10, preferably formed of insulating material, whose surface is provided with projecting studs 11. The cylinder can be rotated about its longitudinal axis within bearings 12 in standards 13, which are supported from the insulating-base '14. The cylinder can be turned in any suitable manner by hand or otherwise, with or without gearing. In. the form shown this is accomplished by the handle 15 upon the end of the shaft 16.

The studs may be fixed or removable and are preferably arranged along the surface of the cylinder in a spiral or in spirals, as shown, and these spirals may be staggered, the studs of the one spiral with the studs of the next, also as shown; but it will be evident that the studs may be arranged in any other manner which may be desired, regular or irregular.

Below the cylinder and in position to be operated by the studs thereon is located a row of levers 17 17 17" 17', &c., formed of insulating material and pivoted at the ends far thest from the cylinder upon a rod 18, which is supported in any suitable manner, as from the standards 13. Each lever consists of the insulating-arm 19, pierced at one end for the reception of the rod 18 and provided at its other end with a depending bow-20, of conducting material, having two or more prongs 21 for engagement with terminal conductingbuttons 22 29/ 23 23 2 1 24: 25 25', 8210., which lie below the prongs in the insulating-base 14. Each lever is maintained yieldingly in its raised position by any suitable means, as by the spring 26. Each button is connected in my preferred form to one of the coatings of a Leyden jar or electric condenser or set of condensers 27 28 29 30, &c., the connections being such that where but two buttons, as shown, comprise a set with which contact is made by a single bow these two buttons are so connected, through any other apparatus desired, that charge or discharge of the condenser or set of condensers is accomplished by the depression of the bow corresponding to these buttons. The number of combinations possible for charging or discharging or distributing the charges where more than two buttons comprise a set or where more than one bow is depressed at the same time is evidently very great.

In the illustrations the buttons are connected to the contacts of plug-switch sockets 31 31 31 31, &c. These are for convenience arranged in a row, and a corresponding opposite row of switch-sockets 32 32 32 32' has its contacts connected to what may be termed the nearer terminals of the condensers. In each of the condenser-circuits shown there is a diflerent arrangement of condensers, and it will be evident that the number of these combinationsseries, multiple, and series multipleis also very great. The outer terminals of the condensers are connected to binding-posts, to which other condensers or other pieces of apparatus may be connected, as in Fig. 4:, where apparatus 33 33' 33 33', are shown so placedQ These may be for signaling, thermal, or chemical uses. The binding-posts of each condenser or set of condensers may be connected by straps 34 34 34 34', &c., to exclude outside apparatus, as shown in Fig. 3. Any plugswitch of the outer row may be connected to any plug-switch of the inner row by means of the flexible conductors 35, securing great flexibility and complete control of the order in which the various discharges or other operations shall take place.

When the cylinder is revolved, the studs will depress the rods in any predetermined order as established by the position of the studs upon the surface of the cylinder. The depression of the rods will force the prongs of the bows thereon into contact with the buttons to which the condensers or other sources of energy are connected, and charge,d ischarge, or distribution will instantly take place.

It will be evident that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art which may come within the scope of my invention, and I do not, therefore, desiretobe limited in every instance to the exact construction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is

1. In a discharging-rod, the combination of standards, a cylinder carried thereby, projections upon the cylinder, contacts in proximity to the cylinder, switches connected to said contacts, a set of condensers and means for removably connecting said switches with the condensers. v

2. In a discharging-rod, a revoluble contact-maker, a series of contacts in proximity thereto, a series of switches connected with said contacts, a mating series of switches, a series 'of sources of electricity connected at one end each to the mating series of switches and at the opposite end to binding-posts, said binding-posts and means for removably connecting them.

3. In a discharging-rod, a cylinder, provided with projections, standards therefor, a series of contact-making levers, means attached to said standards for pivotally supporting said levers, a series of switches connected to said sets of contacts, a mating series of switches, a series of sources of electrical energy attached thereto, means for forming a connection between two of said sets of switches and means for removably connecting sources of electric energy.

4. In a discharging-rod, a cylinder provided with projections, standards therefor, a series of contacts in proximity thereto, a plurality of contacts in operative relation with each circumferential series of projections u pon said cylinder a plurality of condensers, interchangeable means forconnecting any of them with any of the plurality of contacts and a contact-making bow depressible by said projections and making electrical connection with a plurality of said contacts.

5. In a discharging-rod, aseries of contacts,

means for forming a connection between the.

contacts, a plurality of condensers, and interchangeable means for connecting the condensers with the contacts.

6. In a discharging-rod, a cylinder, a condenser, intermediate means for making connection between the coatings of said condenser by revolution of the cylinder and means for connecting an external circuit with the condenser-circuit. 

